Blessings 2024

Dear Friends and Members of the St. Thomas More Lawyers Society of Wisconsin,

In this new year, we are blessed with a number of good events and fun opportunities for fellowship and prayer. We wish to invite you to participate fully and share with friends.

1) STMLS FIRST FRIDAY MASS in the MU Law School 4th floor chapel, February 2, 2024 at 7:30 am. Our Mass celebrant will be Fr. Bob Cook, OFM Conv. Our speaker will be Mr. Patrick Flynn, philosopher and author of “The Best Argument for God” (Sophia Press). Patrick will share a little bit about his personal journey while tackling the best arguments for the existence of God and the strongest objections. Patrick welcomes a hearty cross-examination.

2) MASS & STMLS ANNUAL MEETING at St. Josaphat’s Basilica, February 20, 2024 with Mass starting at 5:15 pm. This year, the basilica welcomes the Society for Mass in the undercroft church, as well as our annual meeting with catering and cocktails. There will be plenty of safe parking space and an opportunity to visit the beautiful main church.

3) LENTEN MORNING OF RECOLLECTION at St. Mary’s Visitation, Elm Grove, on Saturday, February 24, 2024 beginning with 8:00 am mass in the main church. This year, pastor Fr. Philip Schumaker will direct our mini-retreat, and STMLS will team up with the Catholic Medical Guild of Wisconsin. This will be a wonderful opportunity for Mass, reconciliation, prayer, and fellowship. Please mark your calendars for a special morning of recollection.

Best blessings in this new year!

January and February 2024 events.

Plans are underway for our annual board meeting in February 2024 and our annual Lenten morning of reflection. We will announce these dates following the holidays.

While there will be no First Friday Mass celebration in January 2024, we look forward to resuming our schedule in February.

First Friday Mass December 1st 2023 Gesu lower church

Our Chapter's upcoming First Friday Mass Our chapter will be held as follows:

DAY AND TIME: December 1st 2023 First Friday Mass, begins at 7:45am.

LOCATION: Gesu Lower Church

PARKING: Free parking in the back parking lot. Enter off of 11th Street between Wisconsin Avenue and Michigan Avenue.

CELEBRANT: Fr. Bob Cook, Conventual Franciscan, Rector and Pastor of St. Josaphat's Basilica will be our celebrant for Holy Mass.

PRESENTATION: Following Mass, we are blessed that, as Advent gets underway, Fr. Bob will have a presentation for us. Also, coffee and breakfast snacks will be provided.

For those in attendance after November's First Friday mass, the Wisconsin Board of Bar Examiners approved the presentation, "Wisconsin's Judicial Oath: 'Without Respect to Persons'", for 1.0 hour of Ethics CLE credit.

Ethics presentation, November 3rd 2023

This coming November 3, 2023, we will have our First Friday Mass in the Marquette University Law School 4th floor chapel at 7:30 AM. Our celebrant will be STMLS Chaplain Fr. Brad Krawczyk of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee St. Francis de Sales Seminary. Following liturgy, we will host an Ethics presentation with coffee and a light breakfast. One hour of Ethics CLE credit will be applied for.

We are grateful to Dean Kearney and MU Law School for the use of the Edmund Campion Law School chapel for our celebration of Sacred Liturgy. Please enter the MU Law School parking lot off of 11th Street just south of Wisconsin Avenue, and bring your parking stub to the front desk for validation.

Annual Red Mass and Dinner October 5th 2023

You are cordially invited to the STMLS annual Red Mass on Thursday, October 5, 2023 at 5:15 pm at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, Milwaukee. Our celebrant for the Red Mass will be Archbishop Jerome Listecki. Cocktails, dinner, and program to follow at the Wisconsin Club.

You may purchase tickets here. More information can be found below.

The Reception and Dinner immediately follows Mass. The Wisconsin Club is located at 900 W. Wisconsin Ave. The event will include presentated of the Faithful Servant Award to Kevin O’Brien, Chief Executive Officer, Best Version Media, and Founder, Men of Christ. He will be introduced by Tom Pipines, former FOX 6 Sports Director.

The Keynote Speaker will be Steven M. Biskupic, Former United States Attorney, Eastern District of Wisconsin, and a Founding Partner and Co-owner, Biskupic & Jacobs, (introduced by the Honorable Michael B. Brennan, United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit).

Zabrina Decker, "The Archdiocesan Tribunal", September 1st 2023

This coming September 1, 2023, we will have our First Friday Mass back in the Marquette University Law School 4th floor chapel at 7:30 AM. Our celebrant will be STMLS Chaplain Fr. Brad Krawczyk of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee Seminary.

Following liturgy, we welcome STMLS member and our guest speaker, Archdiocesan Tribunal Chancellor and Canon Lawyer Zabrina Decker, J.C.D.

For parking, please enter the parking lot off of 11th Street just south of Wisconsin Avenue, and bring your parking stub to the Law School front desk for validation.

TWO UPCOMING STMLS EVENTS:

1. STMLS Law School Student Social. Wednesday, September 13, 2023, 5 pm-7:30 pm, Wisconsin Club.

2. STMLS Annual Red Mass. Celebrant: Archbishop Jerome Listecki on Thursday, October 5, 2023 at 5:15 pm at St. John's Cathedral.

Dinner will follow at the Wisconsin Club. Keynote will be by Steven M. Biskupic. Introduction will by the Hon. Michael Brennan of the US Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit. Mr. Biskupic will present his research findings in a memorable talk, entitled: "Catholicism, Whiskey, & the Early Wisconsin Courts". Faithful Servant award will be presented to Kevin O'Brien, CEO of Best Version Media and a Men of Christ founder. Introduction will be by retired sportscaster Tom Pipines.

Fr. Christopher Klusman, "Our Catholic Faith and the Deaf Perspective"k, August 4th 2023

This Friday on August 4, 2023 at 7:45 am, again, First Friday Holy Mass will be celebrated in the Lower Church of Gesu. Parking is available in the parking lot behind Gesu, adjacent to the MU Law School building (with access to the lot off of 11th Street, between Wisconsin Avenue and Michigan Avenue).

Mass will be celebrated by Fr. Christopher Klusman who was born Deaf in Milwaukee and was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese in 2011. As one of only 13 Deaf priests in the world, we are blessed that Fr. Christopher directs the Deaf Apostolate here from Milwaukee.

As such, Fr. Christopher has agreed to celebrate a fully DEAF MASS for us in American Sign Language (Don't worry... we have secured the services of a delightful ASL interpreter!). If you have never experienced the beauty of a Deaf Mass before, you are in for a treat. Fr. Christopher is a gem. Please do not hesitate to invite others to our First Friday Mass -- anyone who may be interested.

Afterwards, we will gather for a brief presentation by Fr. Christopher Klusman who will discuss "Our Catholic Faith and the Deaf Perspective" with us.

SAVE THE DATE: Annual Red Mass is set for October 5, 2023 at 5:15 pm at the Cathedral, followed by dinner at the Wisconsin Club. A formal invitation will follow in the next couple of weeks.